The quality of long term care varies greatly depending on your location within the United States, according to a new report from AARP. If you’re looking for the best care, you won’t find it in Ohio. The Buckeye State was reported low on the scorecard, coming in at an overall long term care ranking of 44 of 51.
Long Term Care Scorecard
The report analyzed long term services and supports within all 50 states and the District of Columbia to determine how long term care fares differently across the country and where care is the most effective. Using a number of measurable factors, AARP, The Scan Foundation, and the Commonwealth Fund put together this scorecard of states based on their long term care systems. Affordability and access, quality of life and care, and choice of setting and provider were some of the main categories on which the organizations based the rankings.
Ohio received extremely poor marks in quality of life and care and affordability and access, respectively ranked 39 and 42, both in the fourth quartile. The state did manage to remain in the third quartile of rankings for the areas of choice of setting and provider, effective transitions, and support for family caregivers.
Status in Ohio
Some progress has been made in Ohio when it comes to effective transitions, the category for which the state ranked the best, coming in at 27 of 51. The percentage of nursing home residents that has been hospitalized in a six month period decreased from 18.6% in 2008 to 16.8% in 2010. Transitions between long term care and other institutionalized care is a major indicator of the efficacy of the care system in place.
Support for family caregivers, on the other hand, hasn’t seen much progress at all. In fact, the percentage of family caregivers who report not being overcome by stress, having enough free time, and being well-rested rose 2.2% between 2010 and 2012. Though family caregivers aren’t experiencing the respite they need, facility care and home agency care are both seeing improvements in Ohio.
Changes in Care Delivery
The percentage of Medicaid dollars funding home and community based care services is up from 24.7% in 2009 to 31.4% in 2011. This crucial shift demonstrates an understanding of the importance of moving away from institutionalized care and towards more community based solutions. The persistence of institutionalized care has been a problem that caused both financial and emotional problems and had yet to be recognized as something to change until recently.
The number of home health aides per 1,000 adults aged 65 and over has also increased from 29 in 2009 to 39 in 2012. On top of that, the nursing home turnover rate is down from 60% in 2008 to a much lower 37.3% in 2010. Long term care facilities are seeing a great deal of improvement when it comes to dispensing care in the most financially and socially effective way. You can read the full Ohio Scorecard here.
Ohio still has a long way to go when it comes to nursing home care, but doing your research can help you find a quality nursing home or home health agency that can provide the care you are looking for. US News and World Report publishes an annual nursing home ranking, which you can look through and find the top rated nursing homes in your area.
Long Term Care Insurance can help provide you with the freedom of choice and the financial security you want when it comes time to receive long term care. Learn more about the cost of long term care in Ohio or read more into Long Term Care Insurance and how it can help you.